Apple Unwraps Bulk of Mobile Sales on Boxing Day in the UK

Mobile sales on Boxing Day 2013 leapt 63% year over year

Sales on Boxing Day (December 26) in the UK were the biggest draw for internet shoppers in the country this year—outpacing the US shopper favorite Cyber Monday. Apparently, web users were desperate for a bargain, despite just having splashed out for Christmas.

Apple devices took the bulk of those mobile conversions, with 34.7% of online sales made on iOS, compared with 9.8% on Google’s Android platform. Basket sizes were also higher for Apple users—£82.33 ($128.64), vs. £78.93 (around $123.33) for Android.

One reason often cited for Apple’s dominance is that consumers feel more secure using their “walled garden” for making payments. But it could be that Apple was simply the first to market. According the Internet Advertising Bureau UK’s mobile retail audit conducted in June 2013, more than six in 10 UK retailers offered an iPhone app, while about four in 10 had one for Android. For tablets, as well, the iPad led Android—but by a smaller margin.

This heavy skew toward Apple products could explain the corresponding skew toward Apple sales. With so many new and inexpensive Android devices coming to market, such as Tesco’s Hudl, one should expect an increasing proportion of traffic from Android users.